What's in a Name?
by Jisushika-chan
Summary: There's a new addition to the newly formed Zala squad. A fierce, female blonde type of addition. What's in store for the bluehaired soldier? AC, SS, KL,a bit of DM
1. Chapter 1

Kon'nichiwa!

Hello! It's me again… I decided to try a new anime! I actually really like this: Gundam Seed/ Destiny. This is my first from this series, so please be nice and drop me a note? Also, I apologize for any weird grammatical mistakes. English is one of my weaker languages. One last ting: I'm not to sure about the set-up of ZAFT military, so some information Imade up– I mean, used my artistic license.

Ah! Nearly forgot. Because I have no idea of the military terms I used this:

- commander is the head of the squad/ group

-captain is the head of many groups

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the original plot of Gundam Seed (Destiny)

* * *

_It all started on one rainy night. A man in the stiff Red Elite uniform sat on a hard wooden chair outside an office in the Department of Military Assets Placement. Said man sighed and brushed his blue locks of hair off his face. He glances at the wall clock. 6:41. He could see that he had been waiting for over half an hour. Whoever's in there was sure taking their sweet time._

_He closed his eyes, certain that it'll be another while before his appointment. _

_Without warning, the door burst open, revealing a sight that ever-so-slightly creeped out the waiting man. His usual deadpan commander was grinning madly as if he had just achieved his life goal. _

_The cheerful man caught sight of one of his soldiers. Or should he say ex-one-of-his-soldiers. "Hey, guess what? I've been promoted! Promoted!" Okay, so he did achieve one of life goals, then. _

_That tidbitof information did nothing to curb the blue-haired, green-eyed soldier fear that his former captain had lost his mind… or at least his sense of sanity._

_Watching the older man doing an odd mix of floating and skipping down the hall, the younger – and saner – man heard his name called out from inside the office. _

"_Athrun Zala!" _

_Snapping to, 'Athrun Zala' stepped in to the room, blissfully unaware that the seemingly good news would cause him many headaches and a slight addiction to strong painkillers within the year. _

* * *

Half a year later… 

Athrun slumped down on the sofa in his private quarters. Resting his elbows on the ornate glass table in front of him, he rubbed his temples tiredly. God, how did people do this for years and years on end? Six months in and he felt like screaming at the top off his lungs.

He was interrupted from his train of thought from an unexpected knock on the door. "Commander Zala?" Somehow, the voice sounder familiar to Athrun. If not the voice, maybe it was the sarcastic tone.

Not brothering to get up, he simply called through the electronically locked metal. "Yes? What is it?"

"You won't even let in an old friend?" The man's voice sounded hurt, but Athrun, now having realized just who it was, wasn't buying it.

"Dearka."

"So you _do _remember my name. And here I thought I wasn't important."

Giving up, Athrun got up and unlocked the door, allowing the blonde inside. "So? What is it this time?"

"Got a message for ya. From the Department of Military Asset Placement, itself."

Athrun stifled a groan with difficulty. Look at the results of their last decision concerning him – he had bought a large portion of Aspirin stock and probably was single-handedly providing them with large profits.

"What did they say?" he managed to say, dreading the answer even as he uttered the words.

Dearka produced a blank envelope, "I have no idea. I'm just delivering the message. Literally."

Athrun took the envelope from him and deftly tore it open. The letter went along these lines:

_Commander Athrun Zala,_

_I'm please to say that you are about to be granted an invaluable asset to your squad. Within the next few days, she should arrive. Her ID is 09352864._

_Yours Sincerely,  
__Department of Military Asset Placement_

"Hey! A new girl?" Dearka finished reading the short passage over Athrun's shoulder, focusing in on one word. "Why do you get all the luck anyway, Zala? You already have that Luna girl. Girl soldiers liven things up around here, don't you think? I wonder if she's cute…"

"You know, Dearka," replied Athrun. "_You_ could've 'had luck'. Except, the last time thay gave you a chance…" He shook his head. "Sexual harassment is punished in court when you're in a soldier."

Dearka put on his I'm-totally-innocent-what-are-you-talking-about look, which frankly fooled no one. "Okay, okay… I only looked on their baths once or twice!"

"Right." The commander gave his present company a clear skeptical look. "Now, if you'd excuse me, I'm very busy." With that, Athrun lead his friend firmly out the door and once again tried to relax on the couch. He glanced at the paper in his left hand. It was always the same, probably done purely by computer. However, one thing did bother the commander. The lack of a name.

Passing it off as a once-in-a-life-time mistake, Athrun tossed the letter and its envelope onto the table and resumed his previous relaxed position. _Why I accepted the post that night… I must have been less sane than I thought.

* * *

_

By the way... a story I promised about a certain heart necklace and a girl named 'Kiyurei'... I've writen large parts of it; but it's undergoing some changes and rewrites. I'm sorry!

Thanks for reading!

Jisushika-chan  
June 26, 2005


	2. Chapter 2

Kon'nichwa!

Disclaimer: I neither own the caharacters nor the orignal plot of Gundam Seed (Destiny).

Hello! This is the second chapter. I made an effort to make it longer (it is more than twice the size of the last one) because I will be out of the country starting from next week for a few weeks. Although I am able to type, I am not sure if I can post. I am very sorry! feels bad. I promise that if I can post when I am whereeverIwill be, I will write a lot of the next chapter.

Thank you to all those who reviewed to me! It made me very happy.

Cari-Akira, Daisukiasu'n'caga, Pinksia, Sunflower Seeds - thank you!

Siriuslyblacked - I am glad you caught on to that little fact! It will be explained clearly (I hope) in this chapter. Thank you for paying attention to it, so that you saw that.

* * *

What's in a Name? - Chapter 2

Athrun awoke at 6:30 on the dot, as if an alarm had gone off just like every other morning in the past five months. _God… I've GOT to stop doing this… _Knowing that he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, he got up and dressed.

Now clad in the red uniform, the green-eyed man sat at his desk. Glancing curiously at the envelope from last night, he decided to look up who this '09352864' was.

While he waited for the computer to start up, he turned on a lamp and reached for the glass of water he left the previous afternoon. Taking a sip, he glanced over at the monitor to see that it was ready.

After typing in his seventeen-letter password, Athrun quickly logged on to the military database and typed in the girl's identification number. Pressing enter, he took another sip of the water. Within a second, her profile showed up, and what was there convinced the water droplets to stick in the commander's throat and choke him.

X

-past-

_Black smoke furled from a corner of the island. The two in the room exchanged worried looks. Both rushed out, intent on seeing what was happening. But before they could reach the waiting car, another explosion appeared out of what seemed like nowhere. The sky turned black, just like the thick smoke, and the younger one knew _exactly_ what was going on. _

-present-

A blonde sat alone on a shuttle flying through space approximately several thousand feet a minute. Looking out the window at the debris belt, her eyes narrowed. The aura of fury kept the other passengers from making the stupid choice of sitting next to her. _Bastards. I'll get you back… that's a promise!_

X

Normally, a single soldier's profile would go on for pages and pages, probably detailed down to the size of their DNA strands. Yet, 09352864's records barely filled a page. Athrun sputtered in surprise. _The military has nearly NOTHING on her! They don't even have her NAME. _And that was perfectly true. In fact, her profile went something like this:

_ID number: 09352864_

_Name: Unknown. Kakushidate? Kamufuraaju? Yonaka?_

_Age: 16- 26_

_Hair color: Blond_

_Eye color: Amber_

_Class: Red Elite_

_END OF PROFILE_

Athrun stared at the page. After refreshing it several times, he was forced to believe that it wasn't a mistake. The photo attached was so grainy that it didn't tell much more that the profile did. _What in the world? Even her name… I never knew the they would let a soldier into the Red Elite class without sufficient data. She must be very good then… Uh… what am I supposed to call her when she arrives? None of those three names cannot be her actual name. 'Concealment'? 'Disguise'? 'Midnight'?_

Giving up on it, Athrun closed the window and sighed. _How troublesome._

X

How troublesome.

Out of all the available shuttles, _this _is the one that they decide will make numerous stops. Irked, the blonde leaned back into the seat and scowled. _I hope we get there soon… _Looking at the flight information on the screen, she could see that there were three stops before her own.

"Next stop: L5 PLANT – Aprillius 9. Passengers please get off now."

_Make that two stops._

_X_

Athrun took a third sip of water. He grimaced at the aftertaste that he didn't notice due to shock. He considered what to do about the new soldier and her profile or lack of. _Right now…I think… I need coffee._ Completely ignoring the screen, he got up and head down the hall and five floors down.

Athrun walked across the café near the entrance, his mind on only one thing: coffee. But first, he had to get to the front of the line, wait for the lazy management to fill up a cup, head to the side counter, add exactly 0.25 teaspoons of sugar and finally, _finally,_ drink it.

Sighing, he joined the other twenty plus people in line. Really, they should get better management. Letting his gaze wander, he noticed a slight commotion on the other side of the room. Curiously, he craned his neck, trying to get a good look.

From what he could make out, two people were arguing. Rather loudly at that. Suddenly, someone in a green uniform shifted, and he saw the two people. One was a maintenance guy… but the other person looked somewhat familiar. Bright blond hair…

Athrun stared. _Who is this person? _Completely forgetting about his coffee, he quickly headed over. "Miss!" he called from halfway across the room.

She showed no response what-so-ever, continuing her argument. He walked closer; close enough to hear her heated reply.

"I don't care about your stupid policy! I want to know where I can find my room NOW. If I were you, I would just say where it is SO I COULD GET BACK TO SWEEPING THE DAMNED FLOOR!"

Amused, Athrun called again. "Er, Miss?" He got the same answer: nothing. Sighing he raised his voice, "Miss!"

"What!" She spun, turning on him.

He looked at clear amber eyes and looked away, blushing slightly. _She's very pretty… Wait! Zala! What are you thinking about! _Clearing his throat, he addressed her. "Miss, I can help you, what are you looking for?"

She stared at him distrustfully for a second, and then relented. "Fine." Throwing another glare at the man, who was trying to inconspicuously sweep his way away. "I'm new here, so I need to find my room." She handed a paper with her room number on it.

Athrun glanced at the page and did a classic double take. Room 605 is not only near his, it's where the new girl was supposed to stay. Looking at her still annoyed face, he opened his mouth to ask the obvious question. Then paused. _What am I supposed to say? Are you 09352864? I can't say that… it's very rude. _Realizing that she was looking at him weirdly, he blurted out, "Um… are you 09352864?"

"Is it a common practice to call people you don't know by guessing their ID?" she asked wryly. "But, yes. I am 09352864, Sir 06837109."

He simply nodded. _So I got a smart one, eh?_ "Yeah, but my name is Athrun Zala." He paused, prompting her to give her name and end his curiosity.

But she never showed any sigh that she would give that piece of information away. Stifling a sigh, he led her through the halls.

At her door, he stopped and turned to face her. Preoccupied with dragging her suitcase without letting it hit the floor or either the walls in the narrow hallway, she never noticed that he stopped and crashed right into him.

Due to the zero gravity, he floated a few feet down the hall before steadying himself by grabbing the next doorframe. Swiftly resuming his old position, he said, "Thanks for the lift, but we're here," which caused a light flush to paint her cheeks. "Anyways, here we are. My room is two doors down that way, knock if need anything. Please attend a meeting with your new comrades in an hour. I'll see you later." He finished his speech rapidly and rushed off, hoping that she wouldn't see the color that filled his own cheeks.

X

Cagalli blinked, watching her commander practically run away. _Um… okay?_ She racked her brains for the access code and after a few tries entered the room. It looked a lot like a standard single-bed hotel room, she found herself thinking. With one bed in the corner, a desk, a chest of draws, a closet, a small refrigerator, and a bathroom off to the side, with a few other small items. The only thing different was that hotel rooms rarely had a computer flat on the wall.

After dumping her suitcase against the wall, she plopped down on the bed. _Urg… forget about unpacking… I'll do it later._ She closed her eyes, and let her mind wander. _Hm… So my commander's Zala… I hope he's good enough so that they'll let us fight. He better not be the nosy kind… though I don't think he's that bad to have to follow… after all, he's stunningly, drop-dead gorgeo – Ah! What thoughts am I having? Focus, Cagalli! Through I wonder why he ran off so fast? All he said was that we have a meeting in an hour… but he never said where, or why… Wait. Wait just a moment. He never said WHERE! How am I supposed to get there!_

Cagalli suddenly sat up. _I'll be really annoyed if I have to walk around aimlessly to find it! And be late to boot! _A quick look to the clock told her that she had twenty minutes left. She got up and yanked open her suitcase. Even though all of her clothes was red, finding her Red Elite uniform wasn't difficult; she had several of them. Pulling one on, she left the room.

Standing on the other side, wondered what should be her first move. After thinking of and discarding theories, she decided on one.

X

A certain blue-haired man was relaxing on his bed, half asleep. A sharp knock on his door caused him to jerk out of his stupor. He looked down at himself. He was wearing the bottom half of his uniform… but had nothing on top. The knock came again.

"Er… coming!" he called, swiftly buttoning up the red coat and clasping his belt. Nearly running to the door, he allowed it to slide open. On the other side he saw…

Cagalli with a fist raised as if to knock again. "Yes?" he asked.

She snickered. "You know, I thought that ZAFT commanders would know how to _properly_ do mundane tasks, but I guess not." She gestured at his shirt. Looking down, he saw that he had missed the topmost button when going down the row, making his uniform look decidedly crooked.

Flushing, he hastily started to re-button it, the redness on his cheeks nowhere matching the blush on his new soldier after she saw a bit of what was underneath: bare skin. This went unnoticed by Athrun, he tipped his down as if concentrating on his clothes, but really trying to cover his embarrassed blush.

When he finally thought it was safe to look up, her cheeks were back to their regular shade. She hurriedly saluted, cursing how easy distracted she was. He returned the greeting, and she spoke.

"Er, right. Commander Zala."

For some reason, he didn't like her calling him that. "You don't have to say it like that. My name is Athrun."

Giving up on the extra- polte tone, she exclaimed, "You never told me where to meet you!"

"Oh, and sorry about the lack of information. The meeting is in Meeting Room 115. I'll show you where it is, it's time anyway."

She raised an eyebrow but didn't reply.

Three flights of stairs, several hallways and about a dozen turns later, they arrived at a nondescript white door, labeled 'Meeting Room 115.'

Cagalli snorted inwardly. _How clear. They just omit how to get here, but when you do, you'll know it._ Stepping it, she saw three others that formed a line in front of their commander on sight. She quickly joined them, saluting to the same person twice in less than ten minutes.

The other three soldiers exchanged questioning looks at each other out of the corner of the eye. After a few seconds, they lowered their hands and looked at Athrun.

Having them stand before him, Athrun fully realized what it meant to have another person on his team. A change in battle formations and strategies. He stifled a sigh and lifted a hand to his forehead in return. He looked at the blonde, standing beside Lunamaria and blinked to make sure he was seeing things correctly.

He was so used to seeing it that he didn't even blink. If she was standing beside either Shinn or Rey, he probably wouldn't notice either. But seeing the amber–eyed girl beside _Lunamaria_…

Whereasthis way, it was perfectly clear.

* * *

As a note, I may be able to update before the end of this week, but iut'll probably be a short one, sorry!

Thanks for reading,  
Jisushika-chan


	3. Chapter 3

Kon'nichiwa!

Eh, sorry for not putting this up for a long time. I'll have the next chapter in the next few days.

------

She was wearing the Red Elite uniform – the male style.

Athrun couldn't blame it on bad eyesight. It was perfectly clear. On top of the white boots that everyone wore, her legs were covered not by tight dark leggings that stopped halfway up the thigh and a pink miniskirt, but the looser red pants that covered her entire legs. Not that it really mattered. Her red coat fell down to just past her knees.

He probably would even mistaken her as a boy if not for her more feminine shape. Oddly enough, the uniform highlighted her curves; stretching slightly in the chest and the belt emphasized her thin waist..

His blatant stares mixed with utter curiosity caused the other group members to stare at her and realize the reason Commander Zala was surprised, especially a female with short magenta hair and a coat to the waist.

And she stared back.

"Um… is there something wrong?" Her voice broke the silence effectively.

Athrun rapidly searched his mind for excuses. "Er…" His mind was currently – and clearly – saying 'no acceptable excuses found'. "…no."

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow and turned to look at each red clad figure in turn. "If you say so."

"I do." He nodded firmly. Now he was the one everyone was staring at, thanks to his weird response. Athrun cleared his throat. "Right… so… moving on. As you can see, we have a new member in our little group." He turned slightly to address her. "Why don't you introduce yourself?"

She gave a nod. "I am 09352864."

There was a short pause. Then Shinn spoke up. "And she is?"

"Me."

"I meant your _name_."

She merely looked at him. "You know, it's generally polite to give your name before asking someone else's."

Annoyed, Shinn opened his mouth, but before he could speak, another person spoke out. "Lunamaria."

Cagalli turned. "Eh?"

"I'm Lunamaria, nice to meet you. As you know, the blue-hair is Athrun Zala, the blond one is Rey and the short-tempered one over there," she pointed, "is Shinn Asuka. May I ask your name?"

Cagalli offered her a hand. "Very nice indeed, Lunamaria." The two women shook hands. "As for my name…" she pondered what to say. "Hmm… you may call me Jikyuu."

Luna paused. "Jikyuu…?"

Cagalli nodded firmly. "Yes, Jikyuu is my name." _For now. _

_------_

The two men sat apart. The difference in status was apparent. One sat, completely relaxed against a high backed seat behind a hand-craved oak table, chair turned to face the window behind. The other stood facing the back of the chair, sweating nervously on the other side of the desk.

"So. Does she believe?" The voice was cool and calm.

The other sighed in relief. "Yes. Totally."

"Good. Continue with Phrase 2."

The sweating man snapped into a salute that his superior couldn't see. "Yes sir!"

-------

"Dismissed!" Athrun gave up on the notion that anything else would be able to be accomplished. They _did_ go over some basic strategies and maneuvers, so he didn't feel too bad about the possibility of wasting a day. After they did with their official goodbyes – salutes – they filed out, 'Jikyuu' and Luna chatting as if they knew each other for years.

He collapsed back onto a chair and found his mind wandering back to the girl. _'Jikyuu'…? Probably also false. I doubt anyone would name their child – no, their _daughter –_ "independent strength." I wonder if she's hiding anything… or just doesn't like her original name. _A not-so-pleasant feeling in his stomach reminded him about the lack of breakfast, or at least coffee that day. He got up and decided to head for the cafeteria for a bite, and long-awaited coffee. He made his way confidently through the maze that they liked to call the military building.

Upon nearing the entrance, Athrun groaned. He had completely forgotten what time it was. He had 'fondly' named the hour "lunch rush." Although not as bad as the horror known as "dinner rush," it still bad enough that it was difficult to find an empty table.

Better management was REALLY needed.

Threading through groups of girls that didn't seem to actually want to eat, guys madly pushing each other aside to greet the pretty cafeteria girl and just… people. Athrun stifled a non-Red-Elite-like sigh and joined the 'line'.

Upon receiving his tray of food, he turned, resignedly, to face the second challenge: find a table to eat at. A quick sweep of the room showed no empty tables. He looked slower, hoping for a familiar face.

A bright glimpse of blond hair was spotted, much to the commander's relief. _Thank god… Rey. _He weaved his way around the tables, making it to a more secluded section of the eatery. He stopped a few feet away, suddenly aware of his mistake. _That's not Rey… _and indeed it wasn't. Cursing his eldest soldier for looking so feminine, he began looking around again.

Said person sat alone at a small table, munching on a carrot stick. _I'm so lucky I found this spot – and that I came when I did. I mean, like three seconds later, people practically ran in. God, maybe they should consider getting more tables. People are looking for seats all over the place. Like that guy over there with the blue hair and red coat. You know, he looks kinda of familiar... _she mused, amusing herself. _Wait a minute… _Realizing who it was, she called out over the din: "Commander Zala!"

Really, he must either have really great hearing or else completely paranoid of his name. He looked to both sides in rapid succession. She waved when she thought he glanced her way.

Smiling slightly, he made his way over. "Jikyuu. Fancy meeting you here."

Cagalli gestured for him to sit, her mouth full of carrot. He complied. Swallowing, she replied. "To you, too. How have you been for the last… fifteen minutes?"

His smile widened and said: "You know, so much can happen in fifteen minutes, don't underestimate it."

"Right… so any gundams exploding, spontaneous combustions, discoveries of unknown materials or unexpected meant-to-save-the-world self-destructions happened in _your_ last fifteen minutes? Because they didn't happen in mine." She snorted softly. "Especially since there hasn't been a battle or anything like that."

That earned her soft laughter. "Well… no. But you never know. It could happen in the _next_ fifteen minutes."

"Actually, all I think will happen in the next fifteen is that someone will die of being crushed." She waved a casual hand at the throng of people, looking completely unconcerned.

Following her gaze, he had to agree. "In fact, sometimes I wonder why it hasn't happened yet."

"Why is there so many anyway?"

He scooped a spoonful of rice. "Same reason as you, I guess. Food. There's actually another eatery that's a lot nicer, with waiters and all that, but it costs you your own money." He shrugged, "Not many soldiers can afford that. I usually come in here about an hour later, where you can walk without bumping into people."

"Ah." She nodded.

The two talked more than ate and stayed past "lunch rush," continuing to chat obliviously as more and more people filed out the door. Eventually, a young woman with reddish brown hair came over.

"Excuse me, but we need your trays back. We need to prepare for dinner. If you are still hungry, feel free to pick up a snack."

Realizing that they'd been there for quite a bit, Cagalli jumped to her feet. "Oh, I am very sorry. Here, I'll help you take them back."

Athrun felt a strange pang of disappointment.

She followed the girl, who was carrying Athrun's tray. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Hm? Oh, I am Miriallia. I know your name, already." The girl beamed at Cagalli.

Cagalli's heart skipped a beat. _How would she know…?_ "You…do?"

"Yeah. I heard him say it." Cagalli hoped she meant Zala. "Jikyuu."

Cagalli relaxed. "Er, yes. That's me!"

They made it into the industrial kitchen and set down the empty trays in a huge sink. Miriallia leaned on the side of the sink and regarded the blonde hair woman. "You know, it's funny, but you look extraordinarily like the really pretty half-princess of Orb. I bet you could've been related!"

Cagalli sweatdropped slightly. _That might be because that 'half-princess' is my cousin… _"You… don't say. Right, I need to go now, but maybe I'll see you around." She practically ran out of there.

Miriallia blinked. _You would have thought that she was uncomfortable with the subject of something…_

_------_

Thanks for reading,  
Jisushika-chan

August 29, 2006


	4. Chapter 4

Kon'nichiwa!

I just found out that it was Shinn's birthday a few days ago. Since he is one of my favourite character, I wanted to write something for him, but... didn't because I had no idea. So, I guess i will just have to dedicate this for him. Maybe I will write something later on, anyways.

To everyone who read/review: Thankyou!

Pinksia- It is not Luna/Athrun. They are friends, or at most one-side AL

Kageharu Kaco- That "half-princess" will be explained later...

Also... I am not sure what "Look a gift horse in the mouth" actually means. At all. No clue. Er... can you tell me?

-------

Cagalli awoke at seven, the required time for soldiers. Opening the fridge, and she saw that is was empty. _Oh, right. There wasn't anything in it to begin with._

Trying to ignore her growling stomach, she dressed in the usual: red. This was the third day she'd done the same in a row. Since first being introduced to this room the day before yesterday, she had continuously forgotten to get something so she could eat breakfast.

But that's okay. She made it up with an extra meal. In between lunch and dinner, she picked a snack.

Cagalli hurried out of the room, heading for Simulation Room 96. Today, they were supposed to practice maneuvers that they spent the whole day going over the day before. She got the feeling that how well she did would determine whether or not she got to fight with the rest of her team.

She really wanted to do well. In fact, she had practiced yesterday night, after being dismissed at 9:30. She hoped she was prepared.

Cagalli opened the door to find Lunamaria and Rey. Checking the clock on the wall, she saw that she was early by a few minutes.

She crossed the room and sat on the bench beside Luna. "Good morning."

"Same to you." Luna smiled.

Cagalli looked around. "So, where is Shinn?"

The other girl laughed. "Oh, he's never early. He good at fighting, but is also good at sleeping. As a matter of fact, I think he's going to yelled at for being late."

Cagalli was surprised. "Oh, is it a common occurrence?"

"Yeah. I think deep down, he and Athrun agree with each other, but even so, they never turn down a chance to argue."

"I'm glad at your perspective, Miss Hawke."

Cagalli blinked at his timely appearance. "...Good morning."

Miss Hawke's head snapped up. "Oh. Uh, hey, Athrun." Her cheeks filled with embarrassment. "I, uh, didn't see you there."

"Obviously." He seemed stern. At the exact moment, much to Lunamaria's relief, Shinn burst in.

Atrun seemed to forget all about the two girls as he faced the black-haired boy. "Shinn, on time as always."

Glancing at the wall clock through his unruly hair, he protested. "Eh, I'm only three minutes late."

"Three minutes too many." He turned to face the other, on-time reds. "So, let's go. I think we'll start with the MS." He waved a hand at the machines lining a side wall. "Pick one, and go."

Cagalli slid into the seat of the one second from the left, Luna on one side and Shinn on the other. Luna mouthed a 'good luck', just as the program began.

Taking a deep breath, Cagalli placed her hands on the controls and faced the monitor.

"Start!"

-----------

Cagalli worried her lower lip as she waited for the computer to spew out the results. Looking back, she might've missed some of the enemy suits. And there was that one where she had –

"Okay. I have the scores." Shinn quickly scanned down the page. "Hn." He passed the page around to Rey who passed it to who he knew as Jikyuu.

Upon touching the page, Cagalli found herself unable to glance casually at the small black letters. _How will I compare? I am a natural! _

Luna poked her arm, and she looked up. The magenta hair girl smiled. "Don't worry. Look."

_Asuka Shinn – 96_

_Burrel za Rey – 95_

_Hawke Lunamaria – 95_

_Kakimidasu Jikyuu – 97_

Cagalli looked up dazed. _I've never did so well at Orb… maybe practice DOES make perfect. _

Lunamaria smiled, looking at the scores herself. "No wonder Shinn looked so mad; he hates people beating him in the MS. Which is probably why he hates Athrun."

"A-ah…" The page was easily plucked out of her loose grip. The amber- eye girl looked up. "Commander?"

He looked at the page, most interested in the last entry on the page. _Kakimidasu. Very suitable. 'Confusing' indeed. Her score isn't bad, either. _He smiled, meeting amber eyes. "Well, I guess this cinches it. You are now the proud owner of a mobile suit. I'll show it to you after."

Cagalli blink and slowly, it sank in. _I made it… now, I can finish it. Once and for all! _She smiled back. "Thank you."

Commander Zala addressed his entire team. "Let's continue.

------------------

"Well, let's go."

Cagalli looked up. "Go? Go where?"

"To see your unit." Athrun replied, confused. Didn't he already tell her that?

Her confusion cleared. "Oh, right!" She ran out of the room and looked to long corridors stretching out on either side. She turned back, expression sheepish. "Er… which way?"

Stifling a laugh with effort, he waved her over to the left. Only after walking several paces did he realize that she had not followed him. Athrun turned back and saw her disgruntled look. "What?"

"You're laughing at me aren't you?"

The commander tried even harder to cover his smile. "Er… why would you think that?" _Okay… now she looks mad._ Trying to change the subject, he asked vaguely commented: "You know, the weathers been very nice these few days."

Cagalli's expression turned from annoyed to disbelieving. "We are on the PLANTs. The weather here is _stimulated_. You do know that, right?"

"Uh… yeah…" Why he had to say that particular sentence… he blamed it on his brain.

Fifteen minutes later of endless turns, doors and fast walking brought them to a pair of double doors of steel. Athun quickly entered his password into the blinking keypad on the left side.

Cagalli entered first, awed by the huge machines lined up in neat rows on either side. "Gundam…" The word left her almost instinctively.

He led her another set of huge doors. "In here, please." Cagalli snapped out of her daze and quickly caught up. They passed through to a seemingly endless corridor lined with the metal fighters on both sides. The pneumatic doors closed behind them automatically with a soft hiss. A solitary bulb flickered to life above them.

The new soldier looked around the shadowed room. These units were somewhat different from the ones outside. Whilst those had the appearance of mere statues, the ones in this silent place seemed more… sinister. Each one was dusty, dark grey and was tightly bound to place by locks at their shins, feet buried into the ground.

Cagalli shivered. She couldn't truthfully say that she like this place very much. She followed the echoing footsteps rather reluctantly. Farther they walked, the light fading gradually until it became a solid black. The blonde hugged herself; she couldn't help being afraid.

Much to her relief, another lightbulb must've been installed somewhere ahead, because the dark gave way to faint light. Now she could see Athrun's figure in front of her and somehow felt a tiny bit less scared.

He began to veer of course occasionally to check the serial numbers stamped at the floor before each MS. Cagalli was glad, it gave her a moment to catch up. Finally he stopped completely at one just past the second light.

He looked up. "Ah… here it is. ZGMF-X230A Fury." He smiled slightly at the girl beside him. "All yours for the taking." He bent down with the lock and several minutes later, it rose out of the ground. "Would you like to see inside?"

Without answer, Cagalli clambered up and rested in the seat. Her interest in the machine distracted her from the general gloom of the, for lack of a better word, storage room. Turning on the screen in front of her, she used waiting for it to complete the opening graphics. After training on stimulation machines, sometimes secretly, for years, she could recite exactly how it looked. She was much more interested in what was inside the computer.

Athrun had only given one other person a new suit and that would be Lunamaria. The blue-eyed girl had immediately tried out the different controls and had activated the phase-shift. So it surprised him that this new girl did nothing of that sort. Instead, he heard soft, but swift, clicks on the keyboard. Curiously, he went up and saw that she was adding to and changing the OS of the machine.

Balancing on the lower metal piece of the entrance, he waited for her to finish. Long moments passed and finally she looked up. Cagalli was surprised to see the guy right in front of her. She had been concentrating so hard on the commands she'd been typing in that she didn't even notice him. And the fact that he got above-average marks on "Stealth and Concealment" class didn't help.

"Hey." She left it at that.

"Hi to you, too. Now, we need to move this to the other room." Bracing himself against the hard metal, he was taken by surprise at how smoothly she could maneuver the multi-ton object.

Now this was her preferred way of travel. Whereas it took what seemed like years to get to Fury, it only took a small fraction to get out, most likely because one step of the gundam equaled about fifty human steps.

Following Athrun's directions, she finally turned off the machine at an empty spot in the big, halogen-lighted room. As both of them descended, she looked at the grey figure there. No matter how creepy it looked on that storage room, it seemed to look like just another statue here. Cagalli shrugged off the mystery of it and turned to the man beside her.

As she looked at his face, she felt a smile stretching across her face. "Eh, thanks, Zala." She patted his forearm lightly and headed briskly toward the exit.

He felt stunned, frozen to place. When that finally wore off, Athrun looked at her retreating figure already halfway to the door. She had smiled at him. She had addressed him without the word "commander." And she had touched his arm.

His heart wouldn't stop racing.

-------------

Thanks for reading,  
Jisushika-chan

September 4, 2006


	5. Chapter 5

Kon'nichiwa!

Sorry for not putting this up for many days. Or weeks. Or months. Come to think of it, for a really long time. It's just that life decided to move on, whether or not I've caught up yet.

* * *

Several days past by in rapid succession, all a blur of training, stimulation and strategy talks and Cagalli found herself lying tiredly on her bed. _They expect so much… _Indeed, after her first day of slacking off, the workload tripled.

A knock roused her from a dazed state. Groaning, she got of the comfortable mattress. She had come to associate that sound with the demand of something exhausting.

"Hello? Who is it?" she left the door shut.

"Athrun Zala."

Stifling a sigh, she unlocked the door. "Yes?"

"Good evening. This is a formal notice to a new soldier that tomorrow is our day off. Please enjoy it." He smiled.

"Really? Yes!" Cagalli felt extremely happy. A day to sleep in, and do whatever she wanted. What would she do? Hmm… come to think of it, there weren't that many options. This was a damper on her mood.

Athrun noticed that some of the light left her eye. "Is there something wrong?"

"Oh nothing much. It's just that I don't have much to do…"

He considered it. "Well… you could always do the simulation." A quick look from her told him that wasn't a preferred option. "Then, you could meet new people!" Her look changed to an are-you-kidding expression. "Hmmm. You could always try to get lost in the hallways?" He joked.

"You know, that sounds totally like a good idea! In fact, I'll do it now!" said Cagalli sarcastically.

"Then you'll just have to come with me." He smiled.

Cagalli blinked. "To do what?"

"Show you tomorrow."

* * *

The next day, Cagalli awoke at nine, three hours later than usual. She reached out of habit for a red coat, then changed her mind. She slipped on a red t-shirt and black pants. Having nothing else, she was forced to don the white boots. She pulled the black cloth over them. Burning with curiosity, she settled at her desk wondering what she would do today. After what seemed like a eternity, came a knock on the door.

Atrhun was waiting on the other side, also dressed in civilian clothing. "Ah. Ready?"

"Yes." She stepped out and the door slid shut silently behind her. "Where to?"

"Meet a friend."

With the next forty minutes, they arrived at a huge mansion – no, castle – complete with luscious gardens, a forest, two lakes, an entertainment facility and an earth-like gravity.

Cagalli looked interestedly around. "Who lives here?"

"Welcome to the Clyne manor."

The passed the gate after proving their identities and rang the door bell.

"Oh, right." Athrun turned to face her. "Beware of cheerful, hazardous round flying things with huge ears."

"Eh?"

Before he could say another word, the door swung open and a pink _thing_ flew out at them approximately at the velocity of a small plane.

"That."

Cagalli stared. "I… see."

A pretty young woman with pink hair came to greet them, surrounded by about a dozen multi-colored volley-ball-sized Haros bouncing off the floor. "Athrun! Long time, no see. How are you?" Her eyes focused on the blonde. "Oh, you've brought a guest. Please, come in."

She led the way to the parlor, purely for Cagalli's sake, speaking over her shoulder. "By the way, I'm Lacus Clyne. Who are you?"

Her cheerful tone so unlike the military almost disarmed Cagalli. Catching herself before she said her real name, she quickened her pace to match the other girl's, avoided a navy Haro and responded: "Jikyuu. I'm sorry if I'm intruding though."

"It's no problem. I am happy to meet Athrun's friends." Reaching the brightly lit room, Lacus showed her a seat. "I'll be back with your tea."

Her footsteps gradually faded, leaving the two soldiers in silence. Cagalli looked around. It was the most beautiful 'parlor' she had ever seen, and that was saying something coming from the daughter of a wealthy man. The room was sunlight from huge windows lining the walls. Somehow, it felt like _real_ sunlight, like on earth. The room was furnished by someone with taste, furniture perfectly matching the light blue walls and occasional painting.

Cagalli opened her mouth to break the silence, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. She got up to open the door, confused. _Is Lacus back already? And why would she knock? _

She opened the door to reveal a smiling young man. Panic rose to her throat. _Of ALL the people I could've met today, he just HAD to be here! _Feigning ignorance, she pasted a smile on her face. "Er, hello?"

Clearly recognizing her, his eyes lit up. "Hey! I haven't seen you in a while! How are you?"

She could just feel Athrun's surprised look directed at her back. _Shit! _Interrupting him before he could say anything along the lines of 'Orb', 'Cagalli' or 'Yura Atta'. "Um… I think you're mistaken me for someone else." She stuck out her hand, practically jabbing him in the stomach. "My name is Jikyuu. Nice to meet you."

He confusedly took it. "What are you talking about, Ca – AH!" His face contorted in pain from the vice grip she had that squashed his fingers flat.

She didn't want to do it, but Athrun was less than half a room away. She didn't know how effective this was, though. Her commander was a smart man. His friend would not be crying out in pain for nothing. "The name's Jikyuu, what's yours?" Cagalli spoke between gritted teeth. It wouldn't do if her name came out so quickly.

"Er… don't you already know my name?"

_Stupid..._

She doubled her grip, forcing a yelp from the purple-eye man. "I meant, my name's Kira! Kira! Ow!"

_Kira._

Forcing a smile that came out as a grimace, Cagalli loosened the pressure on his hand, but didn't let go. "SO, Kira, it is? Can you show me the bathroom?" She gave him a pointed look that quite possibly was wasted on him.

"Er, yes…?"

Not wanting for him to say anything else, Cagalli dragged him out of the room, leaving a blue- haired man in bemusement. She walked randomly for about five minutes, using all of her military-induced skills of stealth and stopped at a window.

Making sure no one was listening, she turned to face the questioning look Kira gave her. She opted for the clueless approach. "Er… is there something wrong?"

"Okay, I may not be good at catching subtle hints, but I'm not completely stupid. First, you're _Cagalli_, not KiryuSecond why did you have to crush my hand!" He waved the abused appendage that will sport several bruise marks.

Cagalli gave nervous laughter. "Right. Sorry about the hand. And anyways. I'm _Jikyuu_ now, okay? No Kiryu. Just for a little bit. I have my reasons." She looked away.

Kira sighed. He could tell that it was important to her. "Okay, I'll kept you secret for now." He pinned her with another look. "But, Cagalli, don't let it get out of hand, okay? I don't want my sister in a coffin."

"Don't worry."

Kira made to go back, but Cagalli grabbed his wrist. "Wait! He'll probably ask why you were yelling. What will you say?"

He pondered the question for a while. "Hmm…" He glanced at the particularly painful spot on his hand. A brilliant idea came to mind. "Okay, this is what we'll say. I hurt my hand when… moving furniture around in one of the third floor guestrooms. So when you shook my hand, it hurt."

Cagalli mulled over it. She couldn't think of any plot-holes in the story. "Yeah. Actually it fits. You're one clumsy enough to hurt your hand that way… and absent-minded enough to forget about it later. Good job."

Grumbling about the snub, he showed her the way back. The story wasn't _really_ a lie. They just put in backwards, the bruise before the 'handshake'. They just added in some furniture and played up Kira's faults and took out the part about her false name. Definitely not a lie.

As they walked back, Cagalli was suddenly struck by a thought. "Hey, Kira?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing here anyway? I though you said that you were going to December 2 to continue your science education."

To Cagalli's surprise, her brother blushed. "Well, it's like this… I WAS, and I met Lacus there who was taking a course. Then afterward, I finished, but couldn't afford to get a house or anything, and she offered me a place to stay." He nodded, as if trying to convince himself. "That's it."

Her eyes narrowed. "And you wouldn't be hiding anything, would you? Like about you and Lacus?"

"Hiding anything? Why wouldn't you say that?" He laughed nervously.

"That's good, because hiding things sometimes force you to lie." A new voice piped up from in front of them.

Kira laughed in the same way again. "Lacus. How are you?" She had appeared several feet in front of them having just exited from the parlor.

"Not bad, now why don't you guys come in?"

Cagalli took another taste of the tea. Lacus really knew how to make a good cup of tea. Well, either her or her cook, anyway. She felt herself warming to this woman. She watched her brother and the pink hair sitting next to each other on the couch opposite, talking and looking completely oblivious to everything around them.

She smiled. Whatever Kira said, it was obviously more than just an owner-boarder relationship.

Cagali was also aware of her superior sitting just a few feet away, also smiling at the site. "Hey, how do you know them anyway?"

He glanced her way. "Kira was my best friend in elementary school. Lacus is his friend."

Cagalli's eyes widened a bit. _Kira's friend…? Then the person he told me about is… Zala? _"Oh. I see."

"On the subject of how we know each other," Lacus injected, "how do you two know each other?" Her head tilted slightly to the side.

The blonde considered how to answer the question. After all, her really protective brother was sitting in the room. And so was her commander. She sighed, nothing but the truth will suffice here. "Well, I joined ZAFT – "

"Wait! What!" Kira set down his teacup so hard that tea spattered over the table. He didn't take any notice of this, though, as he stared at his twin.

Eyes trying to convey the message "shut up", she smiled a bit tightly and said, "_Yes, Kira, I joined the military._ Is there something wrong?"

He replied, "Uh… no, of course not" almost absently, but never stopped his incredulous stare.

"I should hope not, since I've been in the army for quite a bit now." Athrun said, pleasantly, even though he was very confused. "You never had that much of a problem about it before."

"Mmhmm…" Kira gaze fell on the teapot. Abruptly, he stood up. "Well, I will fill the teapot again."

Lacus looked confused, "But, Kira, it's still half full."

"I know! But it can be more full!" He lifted the tray with the teapot on top. "Ca-Jikyuu, can you help me? I am afraid that it, uh… will be too heavy for me to carry alone."

Athun stared. "But Kira… it's a teapot."

"A _heavy_ teapot," he emphasized, then proceeded to contradict the sentence by expertly balancing the tray with one hand, grabbing Cagalli's arm with the other and dragging both out of the room at top speed.

The remaining male in the room looked at the girl opposite him. "Is it just me, or is Kira acting a bit… strange?"

* * *

Kira set down the teapot on a table a couple of hallways down. Crossing his arms, he turned to his _younger_ sister. "So. So…"

Said sister tried to laugh it off. "So… hi?"

"Seriously, Cagalli. Why did you join ZAFT?"

Losing the clueless façade, Cagalli snapped back. "You know why."

Kira sighed. "If this is about Orb…"

"Of course this is about Orb! Why else!" Fists formed at her sides. "The _bastards_ betrayed us! Stabbed us in the back!"

"Cagalli…" He sighed. He knew nothing he said would change her mind. He looked at her sadly. "It's just that I don't want to not hear from you for a while then hear that you died fighting. Even if you survive to the end, I don't want to you to have to know what it feels like to have killed. Innocence is the first casualty of war."

Cagali looked away from his gaze. "I can protect myself! And if I die, I would have fulfilled a purpose!"

"But I don't want that to happen to you. I don't want to wonder if it will be the last time I see you every time we see each other. You are my only sister, Cagalli. I want you to live a happy life. One without war."

Cagalli stared at purple eyes, then averted her gaze.

"… I can't. I'm sorry."

* * *

Thanks for reading,  
Jisushika-chan

October 11, 2006


	6. Chapter 6

Kon'nichiwa!

I'm sorry! I know I haven't updated this for a very long time, three months, I think. You probalby don't want to hear excuses, but the truth is I recently suffered a huge disappointment and just couldn't continue writing this. But now, I have gotten over it, and finally finished writing it! So sorry about that... to make up for it: this chapter has a bit more plot than the previous ones, and I _promise _I'll try to do better for the next one. Okay? Maybe even by next week or so? (I'll try my very best!)

Thanks to all who left reviews! They really encouraged me to continue when I finally read them! Thanks to Shinnasuka1652391, jHeyTTernallie, Sunflower Seeds, Celle666, ovp, AirStriker, Athyra as well as Cari-Akira! Also, thanks to any other readers and/or reviewers!

_Very_ belated Happy Holidays and New Year's to you all!

* * *

The journey back was a fairly subdued affair; Cagalli to wrapped up in her thoughts to notice the curious looks Athrun shot her. As they walked past the huge gates that bordered the edge of military property, Athrun attempted to break the silence.

"So, Jikyuu, did you like it?"

With the air of someone snapping from a daze, Cagalli replied. "Huh? Ah. I mean, yeah. It was very nice to meet Lacus and Kira. Just a thought though… where she get those Haros, anyway?"

To her surprise, her companion flushed. "Um… I… er…

"Well, I have to admit they're well made, just kinda annoying…" Cagalli mused. "Kinda like really cute bird Kira has…" She paused. "Wait. You made Torii, right? Kira told me. So would that mean you made those _things_ as well?"

"Well…" He laughed nervously.

"I'll take that as a yes."

They walked on in a comfortable silence. As they reached the main building, Cagalli hesitated, "Well, I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, okay."

"Yeah… and thanks for taking me to meet Kira."

"No problem."

She hesitated a moment longer, then, as if running out of things to say, bid him good-bye and headed to her room. She plopped herself on the bed, having quite a bit of things of mull over.

_Kira… please don't be mad at me. _Her hand made its way into her pocket and fisted around the paper with fifteen important numbers that could allow her to contact her brother. _I will keep my promises… _Turning over to her side, her eyes slid closed, more of a mental exhaustion than a physical one.

* * *

The very next day, Cagalli and the rest of her team got a very unexpected piece of news.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Please be there in two hours." The man was not exactly _old_, but by far the oldest Cagalli had seen so far in ZAFT. "That is all."

The four snapped into a salute, and automatically spoke the required words. "Yes, sir! For the glory of ZAFT!"

"To you too." Saluting back, he left the team to chatter excitedly (Luna), smirk (Shinn), have no change in expression what-so-ever (Rey) and to talk about likelihood of going down on earth (Jikyuu and Athrun).

"Well, I better go pack my clothes." Luna was the first to break up their little gathering. Slowly they dispersed, each off to do their own thing.

* * *

Athrun snapped shut the buckles on his small suitcase and opened the door. To his surprise, he felt a slight… sadness to part with the room. It had seemed like home and now he would probably never see it arranged just so ever again.

With one last sigh, he took a step outside and let the door slide shut with a soft hiss. Taking quick, efficient steps, he made his way over to the outer mobile weapon storage to see the most of his team already assembled, Luna running toward them.

The magenta-hair girl had packed the most luggage by far, having two small cases, instead of just one.

Panting slightly, she asked "I'm not late, am I? I ran over."

Checking his watch, Shinn found his answer to be negative. "Nah, you're on time. Come on, we're to launch."

Using the word 'launch' was a bit stretching it. In truth, the had to edge their machines out manually and step outside and go from there.

Athrun cleared his throat. "So, go find your MS. We all know where December 4 is, right? Oh! Exit by port 314A, okay?" He turned to face the blonde – the female blonde. "Just follow us, okay?" She nodded. "So, wait for us all to be there before exiting the colony – but _don't_ stay on the ground. I don't think that there would be space."

The group scattered again; each machine located in a different spot. Luna could feel a light spasm of nerves, as she ran down the rows, luggage in tow. This was actually the first time she really launched, in the sense of the word. When she graduated, the first Bloody Valentine war had already ended.

She turned left and after another minute of running, could see her red Zaku. _Maybe I should have not brought so many clothes from home… they're pretty, but way too heavy! _Finally she balanced both pieces of luggage and climbed up to the cockpit.

It took a while to stow away the luggage in a way that wouldn't feel too awkward. At last, the young girl brought the machine to life, glowing bright red. The luggage situation wasn't the best, but it'll have to do. One fit at the space behind the seat, but the other went at the side, hitting her right arm every time she reached for the farther switches.

Lunamaria had thought that she'd be last for sure, but saw an unfamiliar machine just exiting, still a cold grey. She hastened to follow her new comrade.

Pausing at the exit, she watched Jikyuu make her maiden flight. Wings spread out on its back, looking almost angelic. It bent its knees and took off, simultaneously becoming predominately black and red with dark blue-grey wings.

But all of this almost lost its brilliance as the color of the eye. Deep red, like the color of an expensive wine or a ruby of the best caliber.

It flew toward the others and Luna prepared hers too. Flying in the wake of the Fury, she meet up with four other machines.

"Okay, now December 4 is quite far from here, I estimate at least 45 minutes from here. Let's go." Athrun's voice came over the radio.

They were to be stationed at a new location – December 4. It was the closest and therefore the most vulnerable of all the PLANTS. Not only that, but there was a secret military base. And word was that someone from the EA had found it. They were to protect it in class of battle and to assist in just about anything.

Athrun heard of the new weapon they were trying to develop – it would surely be an admirable feat. But if the technology got out… there was no telling what the EA would do with it.

One by one they filed toward the outside wall, first Athrun, then Rey, Shinn, Cagalli and Lunamaria.

"Eh, Jikyuu!" Shinn said. "Try to keep up, okay? Even if you can beat me at stimulation, really piloting is a different thing, you know!"

"You're a jerk!" the girl fired back, adding speed and catching up with impulse. She kept at that speed for a second then flew faster.

They came up to the metal gates and it opened by command of the green-eyed leader.

"Oh, I have never been actually out of the here before in a MS!" Luna said excitedly, meaning the ship up ahead. "It's so – Ahh!"

"Luna!" The other machines slowed. She had been blown out of course by several feet by a blast. The blue-eyed fighter straightened out her machine before she floated out too far.

Shinn turned to the other direction. "Who's there?!"

As if I response, a black blur swept past him, a glowing pink sword clenched in its dog-like mouth. Immediately, green beams were shot at the others.

Dodging them, the five machines spread themselves out. "Don't let them damage the MS, we need them! But don't head toward our destination! We can't let them find out where it is!"

Shinn raised his shield to block a shot. "Jeez, make up your mind!" He raised his gun. "So, can we attack or not!?" A shot nearly blasted off his gundam's right foot. "Oh, to the heck with it." He shot back at the persistent soldier.

Taking his example, the others too fought back against the three weapons. Cagalli saw the black one that attacked Shinn coming closer. Aiming carefully, she aimed her gun and pulled the trigger.

The blonde had made a true shot. There was no way the other could dodge it completely.

The female pilot froze at the incoming light. "W-will Stellar… _die?"

* * *

_

Sorry if it's a bit short... but next week or so, okay? Ne?

Thanks for reading,  
Jisushika-chan

January 16, 2006


	7. Chapter 7

Kon'nichiwa!

Here... sorry it's a bit short again...

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed/ Gundam Seed Destiny, the characters nor the original plotline.

* * *

"W-will Stellar… _die?"_

"No!" Shinn whipped around. He pushed down on the accelerator, but he knew he would never make it in time. Shots from the other two pounded at the shield he held at his side.

Stellar… 

In a final act of desperation, he threw his shield – his only beam-resilient thing – toward the stationary black figure. Jikyuu's beam bounced off the surface.

Relief filled his entire body. He relaxed – until he narrowly dodged a high-powered shot. Quickly recapturing his shield, he set up a communication link with the purple-eyed girl.

"Stellar! Stellar! Is that you?"

The girl blinked. "huh…?"

Before he could reply, the other two machines both grabbed a paw each and pulled her off in to the distance. The link crackled and faded.

"Stellar! Wait!"

No response came through.

Shinn sat dejectly back into his seat. _Stellar… _Sighing heavily, he stepped on the accelerator, and headed at top speed toward December 4, his teammates at his side.

One by one, mobile suits passed through huge metal gates on the sides of the colony and placed them in the small and empty hangar. The pilots disembarked.

"Shinn!" Cagalli strode over to where the red-eyed soldier stood with the others. "Why did you protect him?" she demanded.

Shinn scowled. "It's _her_. I did it because I know her, all right?"

To their surprise, anger left her face. "It's a girl you know? Your friend?"

"Yeah. Got a problem?" he asked angrily.

Cagalli shook her head. "No… sorry, I shouldn't have blamed you." She muttered something else under her breath and floated away, luggage in tow.

Shinn stared at her retreating figure uncertainly. "Eh…?"

* * *

There was a clear difference between the base on December 4 and the other one, Rey decided. The hangar was much smaller and only held five suits. The ones that they just flew in with. The was very few people here. In fact on the way to his new room, he only passed maybe one or two people. His room was also a bit smaller and compact, much like the ones on a battleship. He preferred these surroundings more, enjoying the quiet that hung in the air. 

Fingers flying on his keyboard, he quickly accessed the database about December 4. There wasn't any information, military-wise. Rey stared at the screen for a second, then quickly brought up a new window.

Soon, he gave a satisfied smile as he found what he wanted. He read the text clearly, trying to find every implied meaning and make out any information they purposely didn't say.

It turned out that December 4's base started out as a university faculty that was off campus. It was a research lab. In the first war, it was used as a shelter, then as a high place of interest for scientists. In the middle of the war, it expanded slightly became a modest research facility. It was here that a woman named Rika Seitari had stumbled upon a strange discovery one day, and that discovery was nope used in most of ZAFT's mobile weapons. The upper council of ZAFT had descended like vultures on this discovery, quickly awarding the woman and turning this place into a huge facility. Only recently had it become a military base as well.

The bad news was that this place barely had any weapons whatsoever. They had the odd defense mobile armor and maybe a few standard issue suits for emergencies, but was mostly meant to look like

a quiet private-sector research area.

Rey cast one last look at the monitor before exiting and leaving his room. There was more information he could find on his own than through the computer.

Much more.

* * *

Shinn and Luna walked down the hallway together. They all had rooms in the same corridor and had co-incidently came out at the same time. 

"Hey, you know, "Luna suddenly said. "I wonder what they are doing here anyway. Why do they suddenly needed five Red Elite to come protect them?"

"Dunno. Probably developing some top secret machines or something."

"Hmm…" Luna peeked into the next room that had its door ajar. There were a group of people inside, one gesturing at what looked like containers of multi-coloured liquid and others commenting and taking notes. She was curious. What _were_ they doing? The next room they came across, there was only a solitary figure picking something up from the floor.

Luna did a double take as the figure stood up. "_Meyrin?" _

The other girl looked up. "Huh?" she blinked a few times. "Onee-chan? What are you doing here?"

"Is that you, Meyrin? What are you doing here?" Luna was incredulous.

Meyrin's expression mirrored Luna's. "Me? What about you?"

Deciding to leave the two sisters only on their 're-union', Shinn muttered something about "going to… somewhere" and strode into the corridor ahead.

Not paying attention, Luna caught her sister's arm and pulled her down the hall with her. "Hey, I didn't know you came to December 4!"

Meyrin looked apologetic. "Yeah, sorry. Remember last year, when they moved me? I came here to work as a coordinator between these science-ey people. It's more like a secretary, really. I run errands and help them with what they ask me and stuff."

"But the letter you sent me didn't say anything about it!"

"Yeah… about that. You should know by now that this is a secret facility of the military. They wouldn't let any of us tell anyone, not even those in the military."

Luna looked confused. "Who's 'us'?"

"Oh, when I came, all about five more came with me as well. We were all greens and we all graduated only a short time from when we came here. There was only one other one. I nee saw him again. He was the one we thought died, remember? Everyone called him the 'ace of ZAFT'?" Luna shook her head. "Oh well, it's not important. But enough about me. Why are _you_ here?"

"Apparently, this is a extra-important place." Luna explained. "Five of us with MS were re-located here. Supposedly, the EA might of found out about this place and we are to defend it. What do you do here anyway?"

Meyrin shrugged. "I have no idea. I guess that for the scientists and all those other people to know." When she saw Luna's surprised expression, she tried to explain. "Well they do all there secret business while I basically follow their orders and and usually in charge of communication between them and the outside world. I hear I'm lucky. One of the other greens, he's just cleaning up around here and doing inventory, things like that."

Once past the mystery about why they both were there, they quickly found that they had missed each other more than they thought. Luna pulled Meyrin to her room and demanded to know where Meyrin's was. To their pleasure, it was just a hallway over.

All in all, neither of the Hawke sisters had any difficulty feeling comfortable with each other and their surroundings.

As for Shinn? Well, _he_ was hopelessly lost.

* * *

Thanks for reading,  
-Jisushika- chan 

January 31, 2007


	8. Chapter 8

Kon'nichiwa!

I'm very sorry! A long time wasn't it? It's just that... a chapter of my life was ending, and I wanted to say goodbye to it properly. I'll try my best from now on, okay?

* * *

Cagalli felt… strange.

It was a strange combination of paranoia, suspicion and the feeling of being watched, and it just _won't go away_.

She was sitting on the bed in her new quarters, that besides being smaller, was pretty much the same. She rubbed her neck irately. Falling back into a lying position, she couldn't help but feel miffed that she was sent onto a deserted research center. She spent a lot of time training, training to become the best so that she would be sent to the front lines. She did have a goal to accomplish after all.

Unconsciously, she clenched her fist. Then relaxed it.

Perfectly honest, she was more confused than angry. Why? What was so important here, anyways? It seemed like nothing more than a quiet facility devoted to science. Why would they need five elites to come to protect it?

Unless, they were anticipating attack. Which would mean, that there is something important here after all. If so, what good was only five soldiers and a handful of scientists, no matter how good they were?

Releasing a frustrated sound, Cagalli abruptly stood up. The confusion was making the strange feeling come back, stronger than ever. She had to get out of here.

She quickly exited the room, pulling a map of the building with her. It seems that, at least, they were not expecting infiltrators, or like the normal military bases, would offer no directory device. She was glad – even a soldier liked to rest his guard. Happily consulting the map, she made her way to the cafeteria.

* * *

He hung up his past spare coat and straightened up. He surveyed the room carefully. Strangely, Athrun missed his old room. He never really liked it all that much, but in light of this new one…

He smiled a bit wistfully to himself. _I guess distance does make the heart fonder…_

This room was a bit on the small side, but he wasn't here for a vacation, he reasoned. Opening his laptop, he prepared to send an email to Kira, telling him of his sudden departure. Opening up his email provider, he quickly typed up Kira's address, and paused, not to sure what to say. "Hi, Kira? Guess what I'm now on a PLANT a billion miles away."? It sounded a bit awkward…

Finally he finished:

_Hey Kira,_

_Strange isn't it, how we often find ourselves in a place that we never expected to be? Well, that kinda just h__appened to me… By the way, I am now on December 4, stationed at a research lab, with no soldiers except for my squad. _

_To say that it's very strange here would be an understatement. Not to mention I don't even know what we supposed to do. Well… what can I do, right? ZAFT is famous for its don't-question-what-I-am-doing attitude-unless-you-have-the-proper-ranking, which I don't think I can quite do at the moment. _

_I'll email you again later on – just wanted to tell you that our messages will take longer, now. _

_See you later,_

_Athrun_

But as he pressed "send", the strangest thing happened.

A new window popped up with a brief message: _Let it be acknowledged that only certain mail is allowed out at this time. _A second window announced "email is now in progress of being sent".

Athrun blinked. He had said that it would take longer for the mail to reach Kira, but he never thought that it would never reach him at all. "Only certain mail…" What did that mean? It had never happened to him before, in all his service in ZAFT. Leaving his laptop with a backwards glance, he left his room for a walk.

Walking slowly to take time to acclimatize himself, Athrun reminder himself of each room he passed. _Let's see, there are six rooms here. One for each of us, and one empty one. …eh? _One of the doors was ajar. He knocked lightly on the door creaked open another foot or so, as if beckoning him inside. Hesitantly, he stepped inside and looked around. No one was there. The room was still and the closet door was open. The lone object out of place at the foot of the bed was a plain brown suitcase.

Or maybe not. When he flicked on the bed-side light, a glint of light caught his eye. A blue gem the same shade of the blankets was lying on the bed. Curiosity getting better of him, he picked it up. The gem was a beautiful clear blue on an unclasped chain. There was something carved on the surface. Athrun held it up toward the dim light of the hallway and tried to focus on the image, he saw movement though the jewel.

The person had just came back from the cafeteria after a light snack. She hand on the doorknob that she accidently left ajar on her way out, map crumpled in her other hand.

Kakimidasu Jikyuu stared at her commander who knelt on the floor with her necklace dangling from his fingers.

* * *

He mind blanked out from the shock. _My necklace_… Her hand flew to her throat. It must have fell off when she was lying there. That was very well and all, but what was _he_ doing with it, in her room!

He was staring at her, the shock of being caught in his snooping freezing him in place. With an irritated growl, she flew at her commander, the map dropping to the floor.

"Wha--!" Too surprised to react, Athrun was crushed to the floor at her sudden tackle. All in one move, Cagalli secured the necklace between her teeth and immediately wrapped her hands around his neck, intent on strangling him.

She applied steady pressure, and he felt his airways being cut off. She was directly above him, a knee on either side of his hips. One of his hands pinned down under his body. Survival reflexes kicked in, and he used one hand to deliver a swift hit to her stomach. In a second move, he managed to kick her off him and fling himself to the other side of the room.

The door suddenly slid shut, plunging them into semi-darkness. They were on the opposite side of the room, crouching and breathing heavily. Cagalli was the first to recover.

Removing the stone from her mouth, she glared at him. "What the hell, Zala!" She spat, forgetting all formalities. "What are you doing here!"

A took another moment for the lightheadness to disappear. "I was just passing by, and I saw your door open."

"And you decided to come snooping around?"

"Well – not really…" A noise of skepticism. "Sorry, I realize I was wrong in this. Is that very precious to you?"

Cagalli paused, confused. _Did he not see what was on it? _"Zala. What is on my necklace?"

"Well, I'm not sure – really. I was just about to look. Maybe a flower of some sort?"

_Could he really not have seen?__ Could I be that lucky? _A feeling of hope grew in her. "Are you sure that you don't know what was on it?"

"Yes. Why: is there something important?"

She seemed not have heard his question. "Zala, let's make a deal. I won't tell anyone that you came here intruding my privacy without proper documentation and you forget that any of this ever happened."

Athrun blinked. "Oh, er… alright…"

"Good." She stood up and clasped the necklace back onto her neck. She stepped back and gave him a salute somewhat mockingly. "Commander." Then, she promptly removed him from her room.

Cagalli turned on the main light and sighed. She held up the blue crystal. One it was engraved the image of a lion against a flower. It was the official symbol of the current Orb Princess.

Athrun entered his own room just next door. It was then he really had confirmation. It was one thing to hide your name and personal information. But it was really quite another when he personally seen evidence. Evidence that was blue and in the shape of a tear-drop. Jikyuu most certainly had something to hide.

Through all the mystery and danger, both were suddenly aware of one thing. A bond was been forcefully pushed into them. A bond of promise to hide secrets. Little did they know that this bond would grow to be very important.

* * *

Shinn paused beside a large window on the hallway and stared out of it, unseeingly. He had just seen that new girl trying her best to strangle Athrun Zala. He didn't particularly care – he might even found it amusing – if not for the memories it dragged up.

It pulled his mind back to one dark night no more than half a year ago, one deserted street… and one beautiful girl caught between her fear and her revenge.

His hand came up and he absently touched his throat, where the girl's hands and closed around, terrified and determined…

_Shinn yawned and slowed down his pace even more. He was now walking ever so slowly down the harbor street. He could see his ship there in the distance, lights sparkling. Why he had sent so long at the town…_

_Originally his plan had been to quickly grab some personal supplies in the evening off his day off in the middle of the sea-side city where they had stopped. But as he entered the city in the early evening… he was struck by a feeling of –of peace, of happiness and of _people_. He strolled the city and due to that he was no walking home in the late evening in the middle of a deserted street quite late at night. _

_"Eh?" _

_Maybe the street wasn't so deserted after all. There was someone there. The figure was sitting on top the low wall separating the street fro the sea. As he walked past, his feet slowed and slowed into they came to a full stop._

_In the faint twilight light, he could see the outline of her face. She was young, with a peaceful face. As if sensing his presence, she turned._

_Time stopped then, as they stared at each other. They were only a few feet apart. _

_Suddenly, the still in time broke. The girl seemed to register him fully. Without warning, she leapt off her perch and landed on him, flattening him to the ground. She snaked her hands around his neck and squeezed. He choked as his airway was blocked._

_His vision blurred and he could still hear her. "Why?" She breathed. "Why… do you have to kill us all?"_

_Shinn choked in reply._

_"Stellar… she doesn't want to die. Don't kill me!" She applied hard pressure on his neck, and he knew as this rate he would surely die. He struggled and a failing fist caught her in the side._

_Her grip slipped and he quickly pushed her off and got up, his bag carelessly tossed to the side. _

_"What are you doing?" he yelled. "What have I done to you?" He glared at her and was quite surprised to see her looking fearfully at him. _

_"Stellar… is afraid." She whispered, her voice carrying in the wind. "She pointed to his ship in the distance. "Won't you kill me?"__ He looked at her, confused. "You are from _them._ They killed my family and my home. Will they kill Stellar too?"_

_This is a fact. ZAFT killed many people and destroyed many things on Earth. But nevertheless…__he took a hesitant step forward. Then another and another. She watched him with her wide magenta eyes, but did not make another move._

_When he was close enough, he extended a hand. A trembling hand took it and he lifted her up. "Don't worry." He murmured to her. "I would never kill you." _

_Shinn had no idea who she was. She was strong, but terrified. She wanted to live. _

_He could understand that. _

_Before he realized it, "my parents were killed too" slipped out his mouth. He never said that as directly and as calmly as he did then. There was now a look of trust in her eyes. _

His eyes were damp. He felt it then, a fleeting sense of something between them. He ended up spending most of that night with the girl. They rested against the wall, facing the great ocean. They didn't say much, but that only created the sense of peace.

Inwardly, he knew that this strange relationship between them would be complex. He realized that night that they were similar. Or maybe, it was more accurate to say that they were complete opposites.

They shared the same past. A destroyed family. Enlisting in desperation. But at the same time… the y were on the opposite side of war.

The blacked-haired man sighed, and walked away from the window, pushing his thoughts back to the back of his head.

He never saw what happened outside the window.

* * *

The man there breathed a sigh a relief. The moment he saw the soldier standing in front of the window, he had ducked behind a corner. He had been sure that he had been spotted, but it seems that he was lucky.

Very lucky.

It had been the director's first command. The soldiers coming here were simply to defend this plant slash lab from knowledge of the Earth Alliance. They were _not_ to know what was transpiring here. After all, the experiments they were carrying out… were either ethical nor entirely legal.

This time, the man looked carefully around before carrying his load straight to his destination.

* * *

Thanks for reading,  
Jisushika-chan

August 11, 2007


End file.
